Skip to main content

Red Velvet Cupcakes


What is it about red velvet cupcakes that make us smile?  Is it the nostalgia of red velvet  birthday cakes from childhood that come to mind or is it the striking color of the baked cupcake that captivates us?  Whatever the reasons may be, most of us adore red velvet baked goods because they’re mouthwatering.  Lately, I’ve seen red velvet whoopie pies at bakeries and at stores, which look amazing, but let's stick to cupcakes here.  Delicious cupcakes.


It’s often the case, in my opinion, and I’m sure you’ll agree, that many recipes for red velvet batters lack the flavor necessary to make them truly delicious.  I’m not sure what it is, but as promising as some red velvet cakes & cupcakes seem to be, they fall short of my expectations.  

After having tried different recipes in the past, I’m convinced that the best tasting batters for this type of cupcake are those which use butter.  A butter cake base gives a richer flavor while keeping the telltale signs of a remarkable red velvet look.  Pairing the cupcakes with a traditional cream cheese icing makes them perfect for any type of celebration.  To create an even more enticing look, leave a bit of the cupcake exposed to draw everyone in.

Let's bake!

The Ingredients
  • 3 cups {315 g.} cake flour, spooned & leveled
  • 1/2 teaspoon {2.5 ml.} baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon {2.5 ml.} fine sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon {15 ml.} dutch process cocoa powder
  • 2 sticks or 16 tablespoons {226 g.} unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups {400 g.} granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon {15 ml.} pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup {240 ml.} milk, room temperature
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon {6.25 ml.} cider vinegar
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon {6.25 ml.} baking soda
  • One 1 oz. bottle {29 ml.} red food coloring
Yield: 30 cupcakes
 
Equipment: standard muffin tins lined with cupcake liners


Center oven racks
Preheat oven to 350° F (177°C)

Always sift cake flour.

  1.  In a medium bowl, sift the cake flour, baking powder, fine sea salt & dutch-process cocoa powder.  Keep this ready.
  2.  In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed for one minute.  Gradually add the granulated sugar in a steady stream and continue beating for 4-5 minutes, until the mixture is very light, fluffy & thick.  Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl & paddle at least once during this process.
  3.  On medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Do make sure that each egg emulsifies before adding the next one.  Beat in the vanilla extract.
  4.  On low speed, alternate adding the dry ingredients with the milk.  Add the dry in 3 additions and the milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
  5.  In a bowl, combine the cider vinegar & baking soda.  Add to the batter on low speed.
  6.  Carefully add the red food coloring along the edge of the bowl.  Beat until combined.

Spray the tops of your muffin pans with a nonstick cooking spray to prevent the crowning cupcakes from sticking.


Divide the batter among the prepared cupcake pans, filling each about 3/4 of the way to the top.  For the recipe I used two 12 cup muffin pans and one 6 cup muffin pan.

Bake the cupcakes for
18-22 minutes


The tops should crown and feel springy, and a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake should come out clean.

Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes.  Gently remove each cupcake and cool them on racks completely before frosting them.


Cream Cheese Frosting

The Ingredients
  • 1 lb. or two 8 oz. packages cream cheese {454 g.}, cold
  • 1 stick or 8 tablespoons {113 g.} unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons {10 ml.} pure vanilla extract
  • 6-8 cups {680 g. - 907 g.} confectioners' sugar


  1.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter & cream cheese on medium speed until lightened, about 2 minutes.
  2.  Add the vanilla and 6 cups confectioners', and beat on low speed until the frosting comes together.  Increase the speed to medium and continue beating until the frosting is creamy and light.  If the frosting is not thick enough, beat in more confectioners' sugar.
  3.  I like a stiff cream cheese icing for piping so I tend to add more confectioners' sugar to achieve this.

Place the icing into a large pastry bag fitted with a large 1/2" round piping tip.


Pipe a thick spiral on top of each cupcake, beginning from the outside and working your way toward the middle.  

Note: the cupcakes can sit out for a few hours prior to serving, otherwise they should be refrigerated (well-covered).

For these special cupcakes I decided to sprinkle red coarse sanding sugar atop each cupcake.  They're pretty either way.


Red Velvet Cupcakes are as easy as 1-2-3.

Enjoy these special treats!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Antique Salt Cellars

There was a time when salt cellars played an important role on the dining table for the host or hostess.  As a result of it being such an expensive commodity several hundred years ago, salt was seen as a luxury and it was the well to do that made salt cellars quite fashionable & a status symbol for the home.  A single salt cellar usually sat at the head of the table and was passed around throughout the meal.  The closer one sat to the salt cellar, the more important one was deemed by the head of the household.  Smaller cellars that were more accessible and with an open top became a part of Victorian table settings.  Fast forward to the 20th century when salt was no longer a luxury and when anti caking agents were added to make salt free-flowing, and one begins to see salt cellars fall out of fashion.  Luckily for the collector and for those of us who like to set a table with Good Things , this can prove to be a boon. Salt cellars for the table come in silver, porcelain, cut glass

How to Paint a Chair

If you have ever felt the need to spruce up a set of chairs or give them a new look, why not try a little bit of paint?  Our tastes in decor and color will probably alter throughout our lives, and at some point, we may find ourselves wanting to change the look of our furniture without having to spend a lot of money.  That's where a few handy tips, some tools from the hardware store, and good-quality paint come in handy.   I know I'm not alone in paying visits to local antique shops, antique fairs and flea markets, and falling in love with pieces of furniture that would be perfect if they were just a different color.  You don't have to walk away from a good purchase simply because it's the wrong color.   My dear friend, Jeffrey, is forever enhancing his home with collectibles from flea markets and tag sales.  However, certain items aren't always up to Jeffrey's tastes when he brings them home.  He is the type of person who won't hesitate to chang

Vintage Wilton Wedding Cakes

Wedding cakes have certainly evolved over the decades just as tastes and styles have in our American way of life.  There was a time when elaborate & very formal towering feats of sweetness were the standard for every bride & groom.  Growing up in a household where I witnessed several wedding cakes take shape from start to finish, I can tell you  that every single one of these was a true labor of love.  For mom, Wilton was the go-to supplier in every aspect of cake baking, including the wedding cakes which flew out of our house every single year for friends & family.   Vintage Wedding Cake Toppers It’s fun going back and looking at Wilton’s methods and styles for wedding cakes during the 1960s and 1970s.  Back then, the shapely cakes were not simply stacked and covered in perfect fondant the way they are these days, but were iced and decorated with real buttercream, along with a multitude of accessories.  There was even a working fountain available that could b